Apparatus for bending glass.



- PATENTED 001". 16, 1 906. s. 0. BORLAND & P. VANDBRWULP.

APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1905. v

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PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906, S. G. BORLAND & P. VANDERWULP.

APPARATUS FOR BENDING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 28 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT; oFFioE;

SAMUEL, O. BORLAND AND: PIETER VANDERWULP, OF

PARNASSUS;

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN GLASS BEND'ING- COMPANY, LIMITED, OF NEW KENSINGTON,

PENNSYLVANIA,. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed December 28, 1905. Serial No. 293,596.

Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Bending Glass, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of'a bending kiln and apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the glass-supporting device, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a modified form of the supporting device.

Our invention relates to the bending of glass plates or sheets, and particularly to those of large size, and is more especially designed as an improvement upon the apparatus described and claimed in the patent to Oonnington, No. 760,959, of May 24, 1904, the object being to provide means of improvedv character for supporting the intermediate portion of the glass sheet as it is bent or curved.

With this object in viewour invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 2 designates the end walls, ilfllahe roof, and 4 the side walls, of a bending- 1 n.

5 is the mold, which is shown as extending longitudinally and centrally of the kiln, be-

ing supported upon the piers 6, which are temporarily constructed for the purpose, it being necessary to adapt the supports in each case to the particular size and shape of mold which is employed. This mold is usually formed of plaster-of-ptris, although any other suitable material may be employed, and is placed with its curved bending-face uppermost.

A designates the sheet or plate of glass which is to be bent and which is placed over the mold with its edges supported upon the iers 6 by means of an angle-irons 7 or any other suitable devices.

Thefloor 8', uponwhichthe mold. rests, is shown as constructed of a plurality of bricks resting upon the supporting T beams or irons 9. This floor forms the roof of a series of offtake-flues 10, which connect with a suitable outlet 11, leading to astack. (Not shown.)

12 indicates gas burners for supplying heat to the furnace, and 13 indicatesbafiie or bridge walls, over which the fiamesand gases pass and are reflected downwardly onto the sheet or plate of glass on the mold.

14 designates supports for the intermediate portion of. the sheet or'plate A. These supports preferably consist each of a piece of: iron having a covering 14, of asbestos, and secured to vertical rods 15, which extend downwardly through openings in the brick floor 8, and are connected to a longitudinal bar-16, lying below such floor in the central flue 10. Connected to the end portions of the bar 16 are rods 17, which extend upwardly through openings 18 in the roof of the furnace and are connected at their upper ends to chains or cables 19, which pass over wheels or pulleys 20, journaled on an overhead supporting-frame 21 and having at their free ends adjustable counterweights 22. The end portions of the bar 16 move in versaid bar has an elongated guiding-sleeve 24, which slides upon a fixed vertical rod 25. The guides 23 and 24 insure a true vertical movement of the bar 16 and its glass-supports 14.

The roof 3 of the furnace is providedwith a plurality of the openings 18 in order that the rods 17 may be moved to any desired posi-' tion to correspond with changes in the shape or location of the mold, and for the same reason the bearings for the wheels or'pulleys 20 are provided by blocks 20*, which can be moved to any desired position on the overhead frame 21..

supports 14 are arranged to carry the central portion of the glass sheet or plate A; but in case of larger sheets it may be desirable to arrange these supports as shown in Fig. 4. In this figure the bar 16 is shown as having a cross-bar 16*, at each end portion of which is In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the

tical guides 23, and the central portion of mounted a"sup"ort14 similar to the supports 14,*-but W ich are arranged to engage the under side of the sheet A at opposite sides of its center.

In using the apparatus the counterweights 22 areadjusted so that they will nearly balance the weight of the sheet A and its supporting-frame. The kiln being closed, heat 1s applied either by means of the burners described or in any other suitable manner, and the flames and gases circulate upwardly over the baffle-walls 13, through the bendingchamber to the downtakeorts 26, into the.

outlet-fines 10, and throug said fiues to the stack-outlet. ed to the bending-point, the central portion will begin to sag and the supports 14:.Wlll move downwardly therewith, these supports acting to check the too rapid bending of-the central portion ofthe glass'and. forming a yielding carrier therefor as it bends .and. shapes itself to the mold. f' To support the end portions of the sheets, we preferably employ hooks 28., carried by bars 29, pivoted to a supporting-bar 30, carried by a cord or cable 31, counterweighted at 32 and passing over a pulley 33 on the support 21. This support is similar to that described and claimedin the patent to Connington, No. 673,615, ;of'May 7, 1901. Other suitable end supports arrangedto yield and follow the bending movement of the sheet may, however, be employed.

The openings 18 in. the top of the furnace 27 or by any other suitable means, and to accommodate the different positionsof the rods 15 and '17 single bricks may be removed from the floor 8 or holes may be punched therethrough at the proper points.

In practice one or both-of the ends 2 of the kiln are usually closed up by temporary brickwork after the mold and. glass have been placed therein, and the wall is torn down again to permit the removal of the bent sheet.

We do not limit ourselves to the exact form and arrangement of the supporting devices shown, since any practical arrangement of the supports for theintermediate portion of the glass sheet which will yield vertically as the glass bends is within the spirit and scope of our invention. I

By the term vertically we do not, however, confine ourselves to a strict vertical movement of the supports, it being obvious that the latter may be pivoted in various ways so as to accomplish the same results as when guided to a true vertical movement.

When the glass becomes. heating-kiln, and mold therein, and also having su 'ortin devices: P e

What we claim is 1. Apparatus for bending glass, havinga concave mold, and a sup ort within the mold for the central portion of the lass sheet, said support being arranged to yield to the weight of the glass in bending; substantially as described.

2. Glass-bending apparatus,havin abending-kiln, a concave mold therein, an a vertically-movable support for the glass sheet upon which the sheet rests and which is arranged to move downwardly under the weight of the glass as it bends; substantially as described.

3. Glass-bending apparatus, having a bendvertically-movable supporting devices within the mold for the central portion of the glass sheet, and a counterweighted carrier for the substantially as described. t

p 4. In'glass-bending apparatus, a bendingmold, supports for the intermediate portionof the rests, a vertically-movable carrier below the glass sheet, and upon which the sheet mold to whichthe supports are connected, and counterweights for the carrier; substantially as described.

5; In glass-bending apparatus, a.bending kiln, a mold therein, supporting devices extending upwardly through the bottom of the mold, a carrier for the supporting devices be low the mold, guides therefor, and counterweighting means; substantially as described. which are not in use may be closed by bricks 6. In glass-bending apparatus, a bendingkiln, a mold therein, movable supporting devices extending upwardly through the bottom of the mold and carrying the sheet to be bent, and means for counterbalancing the weight of the sheet on the supporting devices; substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for. bending glass, having a support for the intermediate portion of the plate or sheet, and arranged to yield during the bending, and other yielding supports for the end portion of the plate or sheet; substantially as described.

8. Glass-bending apparatus, having a bend ing-kiln, a concave mold therein, a yielding support for the intermediate portion of the plate or sheet, and yielding end supports; substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

SAMUEL C. BORLAND.

. PIETER VANDERVVULP.

Witnesses: 1

JOHN MILLER, H. M. OoRWIN.

IIO 

